1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus designed to incorporate an internal component such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a liquid crystal display (LCD) unit, or the like, for example. In particular, the invention relates to a shock absorbing member designed to protect the internal component from a larger impact acting on the enclosure of the electronic apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A shock absorbing or damping material such as a resin foam is in general inserted between the enclosure of an electronic apparatus such as a personal computer and an internal component such as a hard disk drive (HDD) housed in the enclosure. When an impact is applied to the enclosure of the electronic apparatus, the elastic deformation of the shock absorbing material contributes to a full consumption of the energy induced by the impact. The internal component is thus protected from the vibration or sway resulting from the impact. The suppression of the vibration or sway contributes to avoidance of a breakage or malfunction of the internal component. The internal component is supposed to surely keep operating without any trouble.
An increased mobility of the electronic apparatus is supposed to lead to an increased opportunity of suffering from larger impact. The electronic apparatus may often be dropped to the ground or the like from a higher elevation. In this case, the aforementioned shock absorbing material fails to totally consume the energy of the impact, so that the internal component is easily forced to collide against the enclosure. The internal component is supposed to suffer from a larger impact energy. Such a larger impact energy may induce a damage, a breakage or a malfunction of the internal component.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a shock absorbing member, to be disposed between an electronic apparatus and an internal component incorporated therein, capable of sufficiently absorbing a larger impact as compared with a conventional shock absorbing member made of an elastic material.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus comprising: an enclosure; an internal component housed in the enclosure; and a shock absorbing member disposed between the internal component and the enclosure and designed to plastically deform in response to an impact.
When the electronic apparatus is dropped to the ground, for example, a larger impact is applied to the enclosure of the electronic apparatus. The shock absorbing member is allowed to plastically deform in response to the impact. The energy of the impact is transformed into the energy of the plastic deformation. Specifically, the impact energy can sufficiently be consumed in the shock absorbing member. Less impact is transmitted to the internal component from the enclosure of the electronic apparatus. The internal component is thus sufficiently protected from a larger impact. The inventors have proved that the shock absorbing member of this type surely establishes a higher performance of absorbing a larger impact as compared with a conventional shock absorbing member of an elastic material. The plastic deformation in this manner may include a crash or fracture of the shock absorbing member.
When the internal component is guaranteed against the impact of a predetermined magnitude, for example, the shock absorbing member may establish a strength enough to suffer from a plastic deformation in response to an impact exceeding the predetermined magnitude. In this case, it is preferable to establish the strength of the enclosure at a level higher than the strength of the shock absorbing member.
For example, the electronic apparatus may includes a shock absorbing member comprising: a shock absorbing body designed to plastically deform in response to an impact of a predetermined magnitude; a first receiving surface defined at an end of the shock absorbing body so as to receive the internal component; and a second receiving surface defined at the other end of the shock absorbing body so as to receive an impact applied from an outside.
Here, the shock absorbing body may include: a first terminal portion defining the first receiving surface; a second terminal portion defining the second receiving surface; and a constriction connecting the first and second terminal portions to each other, for example. The shock absorbing body of this type is expected to stably receive the internal component and the enclosure at the first and second receiving surfaces of a broader area, respectively. Simultaneously, the strength can be reduced at the constriction in the shock absorbing body. The concentration of stress is thus induced at the constriction when an impact is applied to the shock absorbing body. The shock absorbing body is allowed to easily suffer from a plastic deformation or fracture at the constriction. Moreover, the constriction designed to extend along a datum line intersecting the first receiving surface by a predetermined angle contributes to a reliable fracture of the constriction even when an impact is applied to the first receiving surface in a direction normal to the first receiving surface.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an enclosure for an electronic apparatus, comprising an enclosure body defining: a rigid area designed to plastically deform in response to an impact of a first magnitude; and a shock absorbing area designed to plastically deform in response to an impact of a second magnitude smaller than the first magnitude.
When the shock absorbing area receives an impact of the second magnitude or a predetermined magnitude, the shock absorbing area is forced to plastically deform without inducing a plastic deformation of the rigid area. The impact energy is thus transformed into the energy of the plastic deformation at the shock absorbing area. The impact energy can sufficiently be consumed in the shock absorbing area. In the case where an internal component is incorporated within the enclosure, for example, the internal component can be protected from a larger impact. The plastic deformation may include a fracture or destruction of the enclosure body. In this case, a pedestal may be attached to the shock absorbing area. The pedestal is expected to increase the probability of inducing the first collision of the shock absorbing area as compared with the rigid area.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shock absorbing member comprising: a first elastic member attached to a corner of the enclosure and having the rigidity of a first level; and a second elastic member covering over the exterior surface of the first elastic member and having the rigidity of a second level smaller than the first level.
The shock absorbing member serves to sufficiently absorb a relatively small impact at the second elastic member before it reaches the enclosure of the electronic apparatus. The enclosure of the electronic apparatus is prevented from receiving the small impact. Any internal component incorporated within the enclosure can thus be protected from the small impact. When a relatively large impact is applied to the shock absorbing member, the elastic deformation of the second elastic member reaches its upper limit or threshold. The impact is transmitted to the first elastic member. The large impact is this time sufficiently absorbed at the first elastic member. The enclosure is thus prevented from receiving the large impact. A combination of the first and second elastic members serves to establish a higher performance of absorbing an impact over a broader range of magnitude as compared with the case where the first and second elastic members are separately employed. Moreover, the thickness of the shock absorbing member can be reduced as compared with the case where the second elastic member is solely employed to achieve the same performance.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shock absorbing member for an internal component incorporated in an electronic apparatus, comprising: an attachment member coupled to an enclosure of the electronic apparatus; and a contact piece rising from the attachment member so as to receive the internal component, wherein a bending portion is defined in the contact piece at least between the enclosure of the electronic apparatus and the internal component.
The shock absorbing member enables establishment of a sufficient elasticity in the contact piece at the bending portion. When a larger impact is applied to the enclosure of the electronic apparatus upon drop of the electronic apparatus from a higher elevation, the bending portion is easily allowed to elastically deform in response to the impact, so that the impact can be transformed into the energy of an elastic deformation. The impact energy can thus sufficiently be consumed at the contact piece. The internal component is reliably protected from the larger impact.
The shock absorbing member may include at least a pair of the contact pieces so as to interpose an occupation space for the internal component therebetween. When the internal component is held between the contact pieces, it is possible to support the internal component without interposition of any other components or members. The impact is reliably allowed to act on the internal component only via the contact pieces.
The contact piece may be made from a metallic material such as aluminum, copper, and the like. Otherwise, the contact piece may be made by molding from a hard plastic material expected to establish the rigidity equivalent to that of the metallic material. The contact piece should have the rigidity at least enough to maintain its original shape by itself. It is preferable that the contact piece is allowed to establish the rigidity enough to absorb a larger impact by a smaller displacement stroke or amplitude.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shock absorbing member for an internal component incorporated in an electronic apparatus, comprising: an attachment member coupled to an enclosure of the electronic apparatus; and an elastic piece integral to the attachment member and designed to receive the internal component.
In general, an attachment member or frame is employed to support the internal component in the enclosure of the electronic apparatus. The attachment member is expected to have the rigidity considerably higher than that of a shock absorbing member of an elastic material such as a resin foam. The unitary arrangement of the elastic piece and the attachment member serves to establish the rigidity of the elastic piece enough to absorb a larger impact by a relatively smaller displacement stroke or amplitude. The unitary body comprising the attachment member and the elastic piece may be made from a metallic material such as aluminum, copper, or the like, or made by molding from a hard plastic material expected to establish the rigidity equivalent to that of the metallic material. The elastic piece may include a bending portion which reliably establishes a sufficient elastic deformation.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shock absorbing member for an internal component incorporated in an electronic apparatus, comprising: a connecting member stationarily supported in an inner space defined in an enclosure of the electronic device for receiving the internal component; and a suspended member connected to the connecting member and suspended in a direction of gravity in the inner space.
When the internal component is set in the suspended member, the internal component can be suspended in the direction of gravity within the inner space of the enclosure. The internal component is thus supported in a floating manner within the inner space. When a larger impact is applied to the enclosure from the below upon drop of the electronic apparatus to the ground or else from a higher elevation, for example, the impact is transmitted to the internal component only via the connecting member located upward. The impact should follow a longer path to reach the internal component. The longer path of the transmission allows the impact to attenuate during the transmission. The internal component can thus sufficiently be protected from the impact in this manner.
The suspended member may be constructed as a spherical pendulum. The suspended member of this type allows the internal component to swing, so that the energy of the impact can be transformed into the kinetic energy. The consumption of the impact energy can be promoted. The internal component is thus still reliably protected from a larger impact.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shock absorbing member for an internal component incorporated in an electronic apparatus, comprising: an attachment member attached to an enclosure of the electronic apparatus; and at least a pair of swelling surfaces raised from a surface of the attachment member, respectively, so as to interpose an occupation space for the internal component therebetween.
When the internal component is held between the swelling surfaces in the electronic apparatus, for example, the internal component can be supported in a floating manner between the swelling surfaces. The internal component is still allowed to move in the direction tangential to the respective swelling surfaces. Specifically, the movement of the internal component is restricted within a plane. If a larger impact is applied to the enclosure upon drop of the electronic apparatus onto the ground or else from a higher elevation, for example, the internal component is allowed to move along the plane. The energy of the impact is transformed into the kinetic energy. The impact energy is thus sufficiently consumed. The internal component is prevented from receiving a larger impact. The internal component can sufficiently be protected from a larger impact.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus comprising: an enclosure; an internal component housed in the enclosure; a protrusion attached to one of the enclosure and the internal component; a receiving member attached to other of the enclosure and the internal component so as to define a void opposed to the protrusion; and a tensioned elastic member extending across a space between the protrusion and the void.
The elastic member is allowed to stretch as the protrusion advances into the void in the electronic apparatus. The elastic member gets elongated. The stretch of the elastic member serves to transform the impact energy into the energy of an elastic deformation. The impact energy can sufficiently be consumed in the elastic member. Accordingly, the internal component is sufficiently protected from a relatively small impact.
When the protrusion further advances into the void, the elastic member is tightly held between the protrusion and the inside surface of the void. A compressive deformation is then induced in the elastic member. The compressive deformation serves to realize a sufficient consumption of the impact energy. The internal component can thus be protected from a relatively large impact this time.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus comprising: an enclosure having corners on a bottom; and a reinforcing beam extending over the bottom so as to connect opposite corners.
In general, the enclosure of the electronic apparatus defines four side walls standing on the periphery of the rectangular bottom plate. Four edges or ridgelines are formed at the junction of the bottom plate and the side walls. The edges serve to reinforce the rigidity of the enclosure. The combination of the edges and the reinforcing beams achieves a still increased rigidity of the enclosure. Flexure such as the twist of the bottom plate can effectively be prevented.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus comprising: an enclosure; a display panel module housed in the enclosure; and a shock absorbing member fixed on an exterior of the enclosure behind the display panel module.
When the exterior surface of the enclosure suffers from a larger impact upon drop of the electronic apparatus to the ground or else from a higher elevation, for example, the shock absorbing member serves to sufficiently absorb the larger impact. The enclosure for the display panel module is thus prevented from receiving a larger impact. Any deformation such as flexure can sufficiently be suppressed in the enclosure. The display panel module is reliably protected from a larger impact.